After 3 months, council approves Dive lease

LACONIA — After repeated delays, the City Council on Monday approved a lease for a floating bar and restaurant that will operate on an expanded section of the City Docks in Weirs Beach.

The lease was approved without discussion on a vote of 4-2. Councilors Bruce Cheney and Bob Hamel cast the two “no” votes.

Earlier in the meeting the council held a second public hearing on the lease. No member of the public spoke during the hearing. The second hearing was scheduled at the council’s meeting June 8 after Councilor David Bownes insisted that the new language in one part of the lease was significantly different from the version of the lease agreement the council saw when it scheduled the initial hearing.

Mayor Andrew Hosmer conceded that the process to get the lease approved had been prolonged by concerns about the lease raised by various councilors.

In response to a question from Chris Gulotta, of Long Island in New York state and a frequent visitor to Weirs Beach, Hosmer said government sometimes takes longer than the private sector to reach a decision. But he said the misgivings and concerns raised by councilors during the process were appropriate. The Dive’s proposal was first presented to the council in March.

Hosmer voiced his support of the Dive proposal early in the process, saying it would attract more visitors to Weirs Beach, and also show that the city was open to public-private partnerships that benefit economic development.

– Michael Mortensen